Furniture Shop Bought For Bank Premises

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 14

Furniture Shop Bought For Bank Premises

The furniture shop at 180 Armagh street, owned by Hookers’ House Furnishers, ha> been bought by the Australia and New Zealand Bank. Ltd. for an undisclosed figure The bank, which has premises next door, on the east corner of New Regent and Armagh streets, will renovate the shop premises for the use of bank staff and will later, it is understood, demolish the shop and rebuild on the site ’’’he furniture business of the Hooker family had bedn carried on without interruption by three generations of the family for more than 80 years. 67 of them in Armagh street.

Messrs Roy and Cyril Hooker, brothers, said yesterday that they had decided to retire on the death of their brother. Harold, recently The business had been carried on 1” the shop at 180 Armagh *ree< for 35 years Before tbat. the business was on the site now owned by Bishop and Company, at 111 Armagh street.

The business was established on this site in 1896 by the brothers’ father, the late Mr William Hooker Before that, the business had been started by the brothers’ grandfather in High street, near Manchester street Messrs R. and C. Hooker yesterday recalled that their father commonly went as far afield as Kaiapoi buying and selling furniture in his horse and dray. The brothers also recalled when shops closed at 8 pm., and the footpath outside the premises now occupied by Bishop and Company was filled by their father with furniture for sale

At one stage, they said, there were seven furniture shops in Armagh street between Colombo and Manchester streets.

Major H. B. Honnor has been appointed New Zealand liaison officer in Canberra.— (PA.)